What is Free Software?
Free and open source software is reputable software developed by networks of volunteers, often in collaboration with a socially-responsible corporate partner. Free software can be freely used, distributed, and customised by the community, and is often free of charge too.
Free software is generally leaner and faster on older equipment.
Free and open source software often has a reputation for being 'difficult'. This is outdated these days when free software comes with familiar 'point-and-click' interfaces with easy-to-follow menus and intuitive design. It's becoming increasingly popular and is used by many large corporations as well as by governments and educational institutions, especially in the developing world.
- Wikipedia on Free Software and Wikipedia on Open Source Software
- Free Software Foundation Africa
- Free Software Foundation India
- Article making the case for FOSS in developing economies and more research papers on FOSS in developing economies. What can VCS organisations in the developed world learn from these initiatives?
- Find a list of reputable free software you can use on your Windows PC here
- Ask FOSSbox for a free CD with a compilation of reputable free software you can use on your Windows PC or for an Ubuntu CD (we need an SAE)
- Find out more about obtaining Ubuntu here
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